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Visiting Our Area: Beach Communities |  Printer Friendly
Sunset Beach
Each time you cross over the bridge at Sunset Beach, you will be reminded to slow down and relax, as you enter into a more laid-back atmosphere. Visitors often comment on the quality of the sand on Sunset Beach, which is a beautiful powdery-white. The island has a home-like feel and quiet surroundings, but there is still plenty of see and do. After the beach, plan a visit to the Ingram Planetarium, or an afternoon at one of our many local golf courses. Plan to take a walk on the beach at sunset, and learn for yourself why it is called “Sunset Beach”. Due in part to the beach’s southern exposure, you will see some of the most beautiful and breath-taking sunrises and sunsets in the world. |
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Sunset Beach is a unique and attractive place to host a wedding, family reunion or meeting. Sea Trail Golf & Conference Center is a full-service meeting facility with 70,000 square feet of meeting space. Sea Trail can serve a seated banquet of 720 to 1100 people in a theater environment. One of Sunset Beach’s beautiful gems is Bird Island, an undeveloped and secluded island that can only be access by land by way of Sunset Beach.
Ocean Isle Beach
A true family destination, Ocean Isle Beach has a little bit to offer every member of the family. The outdoor adventurous and sporting types will find many activities to choose from—fishing charters, public tennis courts, and, of course, a wealth of golf courses at your disposal. From its early fish camp days, Ocean Isle Beach has evolved into a special place to visit. Visitors will find a variety of stores where you can purchase the work of local artisans, as well as fine clothing and resort wear. A major attraction for Ocean Isle Beach is the Museum of Coastal Carolina, which features historical artifacts and natural history information about the region.
Holden Beach
Rated one of the best family beaches in the country by National Geographic Travaler magazine, Holden Beach is largely residential. The Beach is home to some of the most spectacular and impressive beach homes in the area. With 900 permanent residents, there is something happening in this town all year-round. You may want to plan your trip around Holden Beach’s signature festivals—A Day at the Docks in March and Festival by the Sea in October. The festivals highlight the Island-town’s rich history in boat building and shrimping.
Oak Island
The most populated of area beach towns, the Town of Oak Island was the result of a 1999 merger of two smaller towns on the island, Yaupon Beach and Long Beach. Oak Island features a larger commercial district that any other Brunswick County Island. The beaches of Oak Island are a focal point for the protection of sea turtle nesting and habitats, and have an active Turtle-Watch Program where visitors can actually take turtle-informational tours of the area. For more information on the Turtle-Watch Program and available tours, see the Sea Turtle Santuaries section on page ?.
Caswell Beach
On the eastern-most end of Oak Island is Caswell Beach, a quiet town of about 400 year-round residents. The town, which takes its name from Fort Caswell built in 1826 and seized by Confederate troops in 1861. Fort Caswell is currently owned by the North Carolina Baptist Assembly, but also welcomes visitors. Caswell Beach has a centralized commercial district and is home to the Oak Island lighthouse. The lighthouse boasts the brightest light in the United States and the second-brightest light in the world. The light from Oak Island lighthouse can be seen as far as 24 nautical miles offshore. Currently, visitors cannot tour the inside of the lighthouse, but you can get great views and pictures of it from the roadside.
Bald Head Island
Visitors can truly get away from it all on Bald Head Island. The Island is only accessible by powerboat or a pedestrian ferry, which will take you and your luggage on a short trip across the mouth of the Cape Fear River to the 12,000-acre escape. Visitors and residents get around the island by way of golf carts and bicycles. Bald Head Island is best-known for “Old Baldy”, the eight-sided brick lighthouse built in 1818. Visitors can take a tour of the lighthouse, which includes an optional climb up 108 wooden steps to the top of the structure. From the top of “Old Baldy”, guests will enjoy a panoramic view of the island and its stunning beaches and championship golf course. Visitors can also get information about sea turtle nesting on the Island.
Beyond the Beach
Venture beyond the beaches of Brunswick County and you will find hidden treasures. Brunswick County is one of the largest counties by acreage and has more towns than any other county in North Carolina.
Calabash
Known as “The Seafood Capital of the World,” Calabash has long been a favorite spot for seafood lovers. People travel from all around to eat in Calabash, where fresh catches are prepared “Calabash-style”, a low-country style of cooking with a taste and personality all its own. Because of its position of being the southernmost river town and its location near the Atlantic, Calabash became the ideal site for the first Calabash Restaurant, an oyster roast, which opened up the doors of its shed and its sawdust floor in 1935. Calabash has dozens of specialty stores and local art galleries, many merchants offer goods that cannot be found anywhere else in the area. Like so many of the Towns of the Brunswick Islands, Calabash also offers choice golf courses for the discriminating duffer.
Carolina Shores
The nearby town of Carolina Shores is a planned community of 1500 residents, mostly retirees, complete with 18-hole golf course. The Town has recently seen added new merchants and restaurants to its ranks.
Shallotte
A long-time center of commerce for the region, Shallotte continues to offer the widest variety of shops and businesses in Brunswick County. Conveniently located off of Highway 17, which runs from Maine to Florida, Shallotte is a natural stopping point for food, shopping and information. The Brunswick County Chamber of Commerce, as well as most of the Town’s businesses, is located on Main Street (Business Highway 17), which runs through the center of Shallotte. It is here that visitors can find all of their necessities, including major grocery stores, department stores, professional offices and restaurants. Shallotte also has a 10-screen stadium-seating movie theater and a bowling center.
Bolivia
Located in the heart of Brunswick County, Bolivia is a natural location for the county seat. The hub of government for the County with a large centralized County Complex, Bolivia is also a center for education in the area, as it is the home of the Brunswick Community College.
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